EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Minnesota
16 formal actions at 13 of 472 plants · $2.8M in penalties · 17 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 16 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Minnesota, 7 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 13 of the state's 472 plants, with $2.8 million in penalties assessed. The most common ground is npdes permit violations (9 cases). EPA has inspected 11 plants in the state, 17 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Minnesota
- Minnesota NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Minnesota
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Met Council Metropolitan WWTP Saint Paul | May 2026 FY1997 | Judicial case | New Source Performance Standards | Final Order With Penalty & Specified Cost Recovery | $250,000 | ECHO 05-1997-0405 |
| Thief River Falls WWTP Thief River Falls | Mar 2025 FY2025 | Administrative order | National Drinking Water Regulations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2025-1039 |
EPA's description: “The final order of this AOC was sent 3/14/2025” | ||||||
| White Earth Wwsl White Earth | Apr 2024 FY2020 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2020-0310 |
EPA's description: “AOC regarding CWA violations” | ||||||
| Naytahwaush Wwsl Naytahwaush | Apr 2024 FY2020 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2020-0311 |
EPA's description: “AOC regarding CWA violations” | ||||||
| Nett Lake Wwsl Nett Lake | Dec 2023 FY2022 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2022-0340 |
EPA's description: “AOC to correct DMRs and failure to submit O & M plan” | ||||||
| Fortune Bay Resort & Casino Tower | Nov 2023 FY2022 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2022-0337 |
EPA's description: “AOC under CWA for Lake Vermilion” | ||||||
| Bejou-Well #2 Entry Point Bejou | Feb 2023 FY2022 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2022-0326 |
EPA's description: “AOC to address SNC DMR nonreceipt violations.” | ||||||
| Usdi Bia Grnd Prtg Ind Res Grand Portage | Oct 2021 FY2022 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 05-2022-0303 |
| Bejou-Well #2 Entry Point Bejou | Feb 2019 FY2018 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2018-0300 |
EPA's description: “Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) designed to bring the City of Bejou wastewater treatment facility into compliance with the Clean Water Act. City to begin efforts to address the compliance…” | ||||||
| Fortune Bay Resort & Casino Tower | Feb 2019 FY2018 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 05-2018-0321 |
EPA's description: “Final AOC regarding CWA violations” | ||||||
Full case histories, milestones, violation types and EPA's complete case summaries for every plant are shown with a free Klarifi account. Create one
Largest penalties in Minnesota
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Met Council Metropolitan WWTP Saint Paul and 1 other plant named in the case | Dec 1989 FY1979 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $1.7M | — | ECHO 05-1979-0080 |
| 2 | Big Lake WWTP Big Lake | Nov 2009 FY2008 | Administrative order | Final Order Issued | $468,600 | $45,648 | ECHO HQ-2008-8002 |
| 3 | Seneca Wastewater Treatment Plant Eagan | Aug 1993 FY1988 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $395,000 | — | ECHO 05-1988-0093 |
| 4 | Met Council Metropolitan WWTP Saint Paul | May 2026 FY1997 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty & Specified Cost Recovery | $250,000 | $200M | ECHO 05-1997-0405 |
| 5 | Marshall WWTP Marshall | Feb 2002 FY1998 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $6,000 | — | ECHO 05-1998-0572 |
| 6 | Met Council Hastings WWTP Hastings | Mar 1998 FY1997 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $2,500 | — | ECHO 05-1997-0458 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 3 | — |
| FY2019 | 0 | — |
| FY2020 | 2 | — |
| FY2021 | 0 | — |
| FY2022 | 4 | — |
| FY2023 | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | 1 | — |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Minnesota: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Minnesota?
EPA's enforcement records list 16 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Minnesota, 7 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 13 of the state's 472 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Minnesota wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Met Council Metropolitan WWTP in Saint Paul: $1.7 million assessed in fiscal year 1979 (METRO WCC-PIGS EYE, Final Order With Penalty). Penalties are the amounts EPA records as assessed or agreed, not necessarily what was collected.
What does an EPA administrative order mean for a wastewater plant?
Most cases here are administrative orders under section 309 of the Clean Water Act: EPA finds permit violations, usually effluent limits or discharge without a permit, and orders the plant to return to compliance, often with a corrective action plan, a schedule and sometimes a penalty. Judicial cases go through the Department of Justice and typically end in a consent decree with a capital programme behind it. The latest case in Minnesota is from May 2026.
Enforcement data: EPA ICIS-FE&C civil enforcement cases and ICIS compliance inspections, via ECHO. Penalties are the amounts assessed or agreed in each case as EPA records them. Latest case status in this data: May 2026.
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